Although they had not known each other for long, they had forged a deep friendship over those few days together.
On the final night before parting, Ye Lan personally cooked again, making a huge pot of delicious food for everyone as a farewell banquet.
The Cacturne tribe caught the scent and came over as well, along with all the students carrying Grass-type Pokémon, who gathered around.
Those with ingredients contributed ingredients, and those with strength lent a hand. With the academy's help, they barely managed to pull off this enormous feast.
It was worth mentioning that after witnessing the effects of Ye Lan's cooking, many upperclassmen were utterly shocked.
Thus, under the lead of numerous Grass-type Trainers—primarily senior Xu Wei, the vice-captain of the school team—and witnessed by Zhang Pengfei, the dean of the Battle Department, Ye Lan completed Huaxia Academy's special talent certification ceremony.
The several judges present exchanged looks at this sight. Their plans to recruit Ye Lan into their families had not been abandoned, but they became far more cautious. They privately contacted their families, scrapping their originally forceful approaches and switching to a one-sided ingratiating strategy.
It was only through Xu Wei's introduction that Ye Lan learned that the so-called certification ceremony was a function unique to the Battle Department. If an exceptionally valuable special student was discovered in either of Huaxia Academy's other two departments, a senior ranked among the top ten in strength within the Battle Department could take the lead, after which all Battle Department students would vote. If more than sixty percent voted in favor, that student would be granted the title of special protection by the Battle Department.
This title would remain with Ye Lan throughout his four years at Huaxia Academy and would even be inscribed in golden lettering on